Legally evicted. Three weeks to move.
Backstory
Three months ago we discovered an illegal shared metering issue between our house and our neighbors. The bill should have been in our landlord's name but instead, we have been paying for the neighbor's water pump (neither tenant knew about this). Three months have gone by without a word from our landlord, who went on vacation for weeks to avoid us. Our bill has been on hold. Today, the landlord's grandson delivered a letter at our door and made my husband read it- we are being evicted. And since it's more than fifteen days before our lease ends and we would have had to renew it, it's legal. I don't know where we will go or how we will afford it, but somehow we have to be in a new house in three weeks. If you pray, please do.
by Wench in Six-Word Memoirs on Aug 02, 2012 | 
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Comments
Dean6805 says,
Oh no! What a crappy thing to do! Jen and I will pray & think about you guys.jene2008 says,
Speechless....NumbrOneAunt says,
ABSOLUTELY will pray!dakat123 says,
Unbelieveable!!! I'm so sorry! We'll be praying for you!dakat123 says,
Unbelieveable!!! I'm so sorry! We'll be praying for you!SnowGirl says,
Any way of trying to appeal to the landlord's good side? Terrible. You got the prayers!Wench says,
The landlord doesn't have a good side. They would rather evict us so they don't have to see us every day, knowing we know what they did, than pay the $200 it would take to fix the meters and make them legal. They aren't hurting for money. They own an island, a second home and one of the biggest auction houses in the country. We own a ten-year-old car, some clothes, and the furniture we trash picked or were given. We also have a 9-month-old baby.maryjane31 says,
You better believe we will have you in our prayers. I know it is going to work out for you. Its a gut feeling I am getting about this unfortunate situation.JAD says,
Sad,sad,sad. You got my prayers.Wench says,
It hasn't really sunk in. I need to start packing and I don't know where we're going.Believe says,
Two things:First, I am so sorry. I can't imagine what you must be feeling.
Second, know any lawyers that could read over the letter you were given today?
Wench says,
My husband's mom is the administrative assistant to the CEO of a huge law firm. But the letter is legal, we looked up our rights under the Tenant Landlord Act. It's hard to believe.Believe says,
It varies by state, wasn't sure how PA did things. So, so sorry, Wench.ba_miracle says,
Too stressful to imagine.I will add you to my prayers. I hope you find some place wonderful.
ctgoods2 says,
sending you strength and calm, wench.scribbling_scribe says,
Unbelievable !!! Cyber hugs and prayers coming your way. :0(Katcan says,
Sending peace and prayers your way! For lack of better words THAT SUCKS!Wench says,
My favorite part about this is how they dated the letter July 30th but waited until after they got our rent on the first to send their grandson over to deliver it.jl333 says,
That sounds pretty cowardly if you ask me--first off, delivering the letter 3 days after it was dated, and secondly sending the grandson over to do the dirty work. Shame on them! I hope you find a bigger and better place.ba_miracle says,
You may want to consider taking them to task regarding the costs of paying for utilities that you were unaware of being charged for.Sometimes a perfectly worded letter (and perhaps follow up call) from "a huge law firm" will do wonders.
Wench says,
Unfortunately, there's no real way to get a number for how much we have overpaid. But since our bill has been on hold while our electric company investigates, we haven't had to pay our bill in three months and won't have to again for the remainder of our time here.KharisJo says,
prayers too from here W, that you will find someplace quickly that will be affordable and suitable. Although it may not seem so at the time, sometimes circumstances can force us into situations that turn out to be really beneficial in the long run. God bless.mzejay says,
A way out of no way is one the way to you and your family. Peace and blessing to you.marymc says,
Being a landlord myself, with properties in CA and NY, I know that a tenant cannot be evicted with less than 60 day notice, with or without a lease. Have you contacted a legal service? I know there are organizations that offer low or no0-cost legal advice. And quite honestly, the laws really do favor the tenants. Good luck.ba_miracle says,
marymc, I have a broker license in Ca and own property in S.C. Landlord tenant laws are far more protective towards tenants as consumers in Ca. but many states are not so stringent in that regard.Here in S.C. as a landlord you can give 30 day notice, evict tenants for not taking care of YOUR property, charge non-refundable pet "deposits", move a tenant's belongings to the curb and lock them out after a proper magistrate eviction, take months to return a deposit, so many other things that simply would not fly in CA. A good jumping off point for any property related questions/issues is HUD.gov
P.S. this is in no way legal advice.
oopsalittle says,
Hey W - sorry to read this ! So wrong. I really hope tha something much better awaits you. Hang tough.Amapola says,
Ouch, this sucks - what's the latest news? I can't help you with practical advice but I hope you find your way out of this with a shelter above your head! *lighting a candle for you in my heart*